Gluten Free - One Year Later

Happy Anniversary to Me!! Approximately March 1, 2012 (I didn't write down the exact date) I eliminated gluten from my diet.  Not only did I take away the gluten, I added in a truckload of raw veggies and fruits to help with the process. I felt pretty good until about 2 weeks later when the detox process set in and boy, was my resolve, courage, and commitment tested! The detox process for me was not fun, in fact, it was a painful 2 week process. However when I got to the other side, it was all worth it, the symptoms were gone. My itinerary for that journey is found here under the titles of "Betty Ford's Cousin, De Ja Flu, and Recovery Road". I will note that not everyone goes through a detox healing process and if so, symptoms vary in both identity and strength. Dennis didn't go through a detox process, he started noticing symptoms that were no longer there.

Going gluten free was something my body told me to do and I did. The biggest surprise for me was that the migraines and headaches I was once regularly plagued with are now a rare sporadic occasion when at least 2-3 triggers have come together to party. Barometric pressure headaches I no longer have, I still feel when a weather change is coming in, but it's more of a sensation not an urge to live in a dark, cool batcave for a while. To top that off, I am both narcotic and drug-free, something that I never thought was possible because I had been this way since my early 20s. Before going gluten free it was 3-4 Tylenol 3 plus a Coke chaser (translation: a whackload of codiene + caffeine) to feel relief and the associated dopiness. Now it ranges from nothing to sleeping and rarely 2-3 extra strength Tylenol. Insert the happy jig and a mountain of gratitude.

Even though being drug and pain-free is a monumental accomplishment, it's actually small in comparison to what has really happened over the past year. The gluten-free journey has vastly widened my culinary and chocolate knowledge and skills to a level I never thought possible and that's only the beginning. One year later I am launching my own line of chocolate goodies as well as establishing an online presence and where that will take me, I have a feeling it's destination incredible. Plus there are other events in that I see in the horizon that when the time is right, all will be revealed.

This whole year has taught me how to really tune into my body to "hear" what it needs, wants, how far to push, and how it wants to be expressed. In reality, it's the one in charge, I'm along for the respectful ride. Translation: a big bubble ego check and rein-in.

Dennis too is celebrating his one-year gluten free accomplishment as well as he joined me a few weeks later. His thought when embarking on his journey was "why not, let's see what happens" and because he noticed a difference in his joints (especially during a weather change) he's happy to have his brownies, cookies, and pizza crust made a different way.

What's this next year going to bring? Don't know and let's see what happens. Right now I need to  see if the fudge will peel away from the cupcake liners if frozen. The fudge, even though amazing in taste and  a lot healthier than the regular version, is a bear to cut and I was seeing if mini cupcake liners would be a solution. So far the liner has to be inverted and the fudge is bitten off the liner with the optional tooth scraping to get the last morsel. I guess a question I have is are folks okay with eating their fudge in that manner if it means a nom-nom decadent treat without sticky fingers? Hmmmmmm

Sherri Donohue
My Very Own Blog